This is a guest post by Andrew Reilly.
Playing to audiences and hearing your songs played on the radio or online is something that most bands dream of.
Sadly, money is always an issue.
Some groups are looking for fame and fortune whereas others are hoping to make money that will keep them playing. Bands make less money from recording songs these days but it is possible to make money from playing gigs. The price of a ticket can help bands make some money but live gigs are also a great way for a band to sell merchandise.
T-shirts are Always Popular
T-shirts are the most obvious pick for any band as they have been the merchandise of choice for fans throughout the years. A great design or quirky statement can make all the difference and it makes sense to try to team up with any budding designers.
Keeping the costs down is essential if you want to feel the benefit of merchandising so an aspiring designer makes sense. The exposure they receive for the artwork they create can help them a great deal and the t-shirt can become part of their portfolio. A small fee or cut of the profits could be arranged but some up and coming local designers can be happy to work on a t-shirt design for publicity.
How can you Keep the Costs Down?
Once a design has been created, it is time to get the t-shirt printed. It is possible to print the t-shirts yourself, either through low-cost laser jet printing and then ironing onto a t-shirt or carrying out your own screen printing process.
These can keep the costs down but in reality, turning to a professional t-shirt printer is the sensible idea. They provide the quality you need, and if you are able to buy in bulk they could give you a big discount for their services.
T-shirts are the obvious idea but by looking online, you will see many other options available to sell branded band merchandise. Some of these ideas can include:
- Caps
- Hoodies
- Tote bags
- Vinyl bags
- Fanzines
- USB sticks
- Stationery
Of these, creating band USB sticks may be the most exciting. It doesn’t cost a lot to buy bulk USB sticks with a logo or image printed on them.
From there, you can upload some songs, images of the group, your bio and links to your band website, Facebook and Twitter pages. Selling these at gigs or giving them away as a promotional tool is a great way to introduce people to your music and to ensure people remember your band.
Always be sure to leave space on your USB stick for the user to put some of their own data or files on it. This way, the user will more likely keep the USB stick and they will regularly see your band’s logo.
What sort of merchandise do you think is successful? Do you buy t-shirts from the band rather than their music? If you’re in a band, what’s your most profitable merchandise? Let us know in the comments!
Andrew Reilly is a music loving, gig-going fanatic from Glasgow, Scotland. A career in music was cut short by a criminal lack of talent but Andrew has since found his niche in writing about the music he loves…and some that he doesn’t! A background in marketing has ensured that Andrew is always keen to explore the promotional and business side of the music industry.
Image by: Martin Cathrae
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4 Comments on "What sort of Merchandise can Your Band Sell?"
We sell tshirts, mouse pads, shorts, buttons(which I make), cd’s. Keychains and buttons we usually give away, along with bumper stickers.
I like the USB stick idea I’ll have to check that out.
I’m looking into frisbees and plastic plates and cups.
I collect M&M stuff , someone gave me a set of M&M plates , cups, saucers. They had their logo on em. It gave me the idea to do the same with the band. Either sell them. Or raffle them off during a show.
Frisbees is an awesome idea! Have you looked into making coasters? Might be cool along with the plastic cups or something?
Nice ideas…buh i fink d T-Shirt idea is so everywhere. Τ̅☺ me d Usb stick sound appealing!!!
T-shirt are probably everywhere because they sometimes sell more than the music. But I agree with you, the USB idea is really cool